Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Jordan and Saudi Arabia Explore Ancient Arab Kingdoms
Jordan – Saudi Arabia – Amman – Petra – Wadi Rum – Tabuk – AlUla – Medina
Has all that sparked a few questions? This history-infused adventure is just the ticket for delving deeper into the ancient world. Begin with three days in Petra, where you’ll tick off bucket-list sights left, right and centre, with a visit to the Treasury (Al Khazneh) and a hike to El Deir Monastery. The desert discoveries continue in Wadi Rum, where you’ll roam between mars-red dunes and curious rock formations with a Bedouin guide.
Next stop: Saudi Arabia, another country and a new fun stamp for your passport. Stay overnight in Tabuk, then head to AlUla to explore over 7,000 years of history and search for some of Sharaan Nature Reserve’s wild residents on a 4x4 adventure.
And for the grand finale? Mesmerising Medina, where you can learn all about the Prophet's Mosque, which marks the shift from Nabataean to Arab civilisation. Consider your crash course in Middle Eastern history lesson well and truly complete...
Itinerary
100% customisable for you
After plenty of daydreams and eagerly counted-down sleeps, today’s the day you jet off to Jordan and venture thousands of years into the past.
Head to the airport, breeze through security, then celebrate accordingly with a tipple in the lounge before boarding. It’s a five-hour direct flight to Amman, just enough time to master a few Arabic phrases before landing.
When you touch down in Jordan’s capital, you’ll be met at the airport and whisked via private transfer to your hotel, where you’ll stay for the night.
Flights to Amman arrive late in the evening, so make a beeline for the hotel restaurant for a bite to eat (which may feel like more of a midnight snack), before retreating to your room for an early night. You’ll want plenty of energy in reserve for the epic adventures on the horizon...
Rise and shine bright and early this morning, then follow Amman’s mosaic-embellished streets to a corner café for a cup of traditional qahwa coffee (and a few pastries to go).
Road trip provisions secured, meet your local driver and buckle in for the three-and-a-half-hour journey south to the ancient city of Petra. And if your travel companion suddenly starts excitedly pointing out of the window, there’s a good chance they’ve just clocked their first camel sighting amid the sun-scorched landscape...
When you arrive in Petra, check in to your charming guesthouse in the heart of the city – your home for the next three nights. And as tradition dictates, start your stay with an aromatic cup of Bedouin tea before exploring your new desert digs or cooling off with a dip in the pool.
Fancy a rather illuminating introduction to Petra? We can arrange an evening walk through the Siq to the Treasury, where hundreds of flickering candles light the way...
Lace up those hiking boots and don your hiking gear – you're clocking up some miles on a trek from Little Petra to El-Deir Monastery today.
Meet your local guide, who knows every twist and turn of the trail (and all things Petra) so expect some insider-intel along the way.
Arrive at Little Petra, a first-century BC pitstop for merchants with donkey-loads of incense and spices destined for the capital. In its heyday, the tricliniums (dining rooms) and bicliniums (banquet halls) were places to feast, strike deals or simply enjoy a good chinwag. Many are still adorned with ancient inscriptions – cue lots of pointing and explaining from your guide.
Nabataean crash course complete, continue along the trail to admire their handiwork on a rather grander scale: El-Deir Monastery, a marvel of engineering chiselled straight into the mountainside.
You’ve followed in the traders’ footsteps all day, so why stop now? Round things off as they would have done, over a hearty spread of mezze, falafel and hummus...
History buffs (and bucket list completists) will be in their element today exploring the main archaeological site of Petra. Brought to Western attention by explorers in 1812, it was later crowned one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, tempting travellers to Jordan ever since.
Enter via the Siq, a winding gorge flanked by Mars-like sandstone walls. A fair few twists and turns later and you’ll arrive at the Treasury, Petra’s instantly recognisable poster child. Carved into rose-hued cliffs, this Nabataean caravan city was once a hive of activity, as traders browsed and bartered over rolls of silk, precious metals and gemstones.
Treasury duly gawped at, venture further into the ancient city, passing the cavernous Roman Theatre and ornate royal tombs. And for even more of a time warp, follow the Colonnaded Street leading to Qasr Al Bint (the Castle of the Pharaoh's Daughter), a Nabatean temple that’s weathered an impressive two millennia. Let the oohing and aahing commence...
Bid a fond farewell to Petra this morning and meet your local driver for the two-hour journey along the Desert Highway to Wadi Rum.
When you arrive, your Bedouin guide will take you on a desert adventure past sandstone and granite valleys. Explore the caves, cliffs and natural spirals that comprise the UNESCO World Heritage site, which gained fame after the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia was shot here. The imposing rock formations stretch out as far as the eye can see and are inscribed with ancient petroglyphs, documenting over ten thousand years of human presence. Luckily, your guide is well-versed in deciphering them...
After capturing photos of craggy canyons and fiery dunes, settle in for the night in a cosy tent beneath the starry sky. Watch the ground ripple with the sunset’s warm hues, then tuck into a delicious Zarb, a tasty Bedouin meal cooked in a traditional firepit oven in the ground.
Set the alarm – sunrise in Wadi Rum is well worth waking up for. Watch the mountains and sandy valleys glow in the early light, with the desert wonderfully still around you. It all feels like something straight out of a film, quite literally, given it featured in The Martian and Dune.
After breakfast, capture your last shots of Jordan’s dreamlike landscape before taking a private transfer to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, via the Al-Mudawwara border crossing. The journey takes about three hours, so why not tune into our destination-specific playlist to make time fly by?
When you arrive, check in to your cosy hotel, not too far from the buzz of the city. Drop your bags and explore your new surroundings before scouting out somewhere local for dinner and seeing what Saudi Arabia has on the menu...
For a new sense of freedom, collect your hire car and hit the road bound for AlUla, in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. After a four-hour journey through rocky desert landscapes, check in for a three-night stay at a charming property in the old town.
After you’ve settled in, follow the whirlwind of locals into the dizzyingly busy street market, weaving through a maze of narrow alleys traced by pilgrims, traders and other curious travellers. Mooch around incense-swirled stalls piled high with spices, traditional textiles and local handicrafts (tempting souvenir alert).
Fancy delving into the area’s archaeological sites? Explore the rock-hewn tombs of biblical Dadan, where pre-Arabic inscriptions offer a rare glimpse into the region’s past. If you’d rather stretch your legs, the Heritage Oasis Trail is a must-do. Follow the route as it winds past towering palms, date trees and mud-brick houses before rounding off the day over a hearty dinner at one of the local farms.
Bundle into a private 4x4 this morning (and hold onto your hats) for an off-road adventure around the ancient wonders of Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, designated in 2008.
Once a thriving Nabataean city before the Roman conquest, Hegra was second in importance only to Petra. As you explore its intricately carved tombs dug into the sandstone, you’ll spot some similarities to Jordan’s ancient sites. But your knowledgeable guide will reveal that there’s more to Hegra than meets the eye…
Come evening, we recommend heading to Jabal AlFil to catch the sunset. Nicknamed Elephant Rock, this 171ft monolith has been sculpted by wind and water over millions of years. Settle into the chairs at the base and watch as the rock glows with orange hues, keeping your camera poised – these views make for prime holiday album material.
Fuel up with a hearty breakfast this morning, don your hiking boots and bundle into a 4x4 with your local ranger to explore the wilds of Sharaan Nature Reserve. Bounce between rocky canyons and wind-sculpted arches, kicking up dust as you chase the desert horizon.
Wildlife enthusiasts, you’re in luck. Wield your binoculars and scan the landscape for elusive grey-coated wolves blending into the rocks, ostriches craning their long necks above the mineral plains and herds of gazelles and Arabian oryx roaming the reserve. Consider the animal-spotting competition officially on...
When hunger strikes this evening, sink your teeth into some kabsa (spiced rice with slow-cooked meat) and, between bites, compare notes on the day’s wildlife sightings.
Another day, another adventure. Buckle in this morning for the three-and-a-half-hour drive south to reach Medina, the second holiest city in Islam after Mecca. Once known as ancient Yathrib, Medina attracts millions of pilgrims each year, drawn to the famous Masjid al-Nabawi (the Prophet’s Mosque), home to the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad.
You’ll stay overnight in the heart of the city, just a short walk from the mosque. This evening, step outside as the call to prayer echoes through Medina and the streets fill with worshippers bound for the mosque. While its interior is reserved for Muslims, there’s still plenty to take in from outside, where illuminated minarets and gleaming marble courtyards make for quite the sunset spectacle.
Devotees journey to Medina from every corner of the globe, and the city’s restaurants reflect that. Think Turkish grills, Indian street food, Indonesian classics and Saudi specialties – so head wherever takes your fancy and dig in...
After one last Saudi breakfast this morning, make the 20-minute drive to Medina’s airport, drop off your trusty hire car and board a two-hour flight back to Amman, in Jordan. Try to nab a window seat for sweeping views of those lunar-like landscapes.
When you touch down in Amman, you’ll be privately transferred to your hotel for the night. And after many jam-packed days, enjoy some downtime by the pool, dipping in when the heat starts to bite and making a good dent in your holiday read. Or, to dial up the R&R even more, book in for a rejuvenating massage.
For your final night, bypass any dinner deliberations with a restaurant recommendation from our local Concierge, who’ll know just the spot for a celebratory final meal...
Time flies when you’re having fun and, sadly, your trip across the two gems of the Middle East has come to an end.
Polish off one last delicious breakfast at the hotel before your private transfer back to Amman Airport. Here, indulge in a final duty-free splurge before boarding your five-hour direct flight back to the UK.
You’ll return home with a camera roll full of desert horizons, a newfound fascination with ancient civilisations and enough memories to keep the thrill alive... until the next adventure calls.
Suggestions
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
PETRA BY NIGHT
As daylight fades, Petra’s ancient wonders take on a rather different guise. After dark, follow hundreds of flickering candles lining the path from the Siq to the Treasury, admiring its honey-hued sandstone glow in the soft light. According to local folklore, jinn (supernatural entities rooted in Islamic belief) inhabit Petra’s caves and crevices, adding another layer of intrigue to an evening among the ancient ruins. Then, turn all eyes to the skies and admire the sparkling canopy of stars overhead. Long before paper maps and satnavs, Bedouins relied on these very constellations to navigate their way across the desert, so see if you can pick out familiar formations like Orion’s Belt (and keep a wish at the ready for a shooting star).HIKE THE ALULA RIDGES
Lace up those hiking boots and set off with a private guide along the hiking trails surrounding the archaeological site of AlUla. A fair few puffs, pants and photo stops later (AlUla warrants plenty) reach the summit and enjoy sweeping panoramas of the lunar-like landscape below.DADAN AND JABAL IKMAH BY 4X4
Turn back the clock a few thousand years on a 4x4 tour of Dadan and Jaban Ikmah, just beyond AlUla. Travel north to the city to Dadan, once the capital of a powerful kingdom that owed much of its wealth to its strategic position on the ancient Incense Route. Pour over the tombs and temple relics left behind before heading to nearby Jabal Ikmah – aptly nicknamed the ‘Open-Air Library’ – thanks to its many inscriptions and petroglyphs etched into the rocks.WITH A FEW MORE DAYS... DIVE BELOW THE SURFACE IN AQABA
Not ready to go home just yet? Stay a little longer and make for Aqaba on Jordan’s Red Sea coast, just a couple of hours’ drive away. Grab a snorkel or strap on a scuba tank and dive among kaleidoscopic coral gardens, tropical fish and long-sunken shipwrecks, with fewer crowds than many of the neighbouring Egyptian dive sites.
Why visit Saudi Arabia with Original Travel ?
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
Enquire nowA few of the benefits of travelling with us to Saudi Arabia
- Our local Concierges
- The Original Travel app
- Destination Dossier
- 24-hour helpline
- Expert guides
- 100% carbon absorption
Why visit Jordan with Original Travel ?
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
Enquire nowA few of the benefits of travelling with us to Jordan
- Our local Concierges
- The Original Travel app
- Destination Dossier
- 24-hour helpline
- Expert guides
- 100% carbon absorption
